State Bar of Wisconsin

Geraldine McMullen
1920
(1894-1984)

Born in Chilton, Wis., in 1894, Geraldine McMullen went on to become one of Milwaukee's most active women lawyers, with a law career that spanned more than 60 years. She attended Lawrence College in Appleton. She went on to become a member of Marquette University's first law class. After graduating in 1920, Geraldine went to Chicago where she practiced law for a few years before returning to Milwaukee.

Geraldine remained in Milwaukee, serving four years in a corporate legal department before entering private practice. A solo practitioner, Geraldine's practice focused on family and juvenile matters, and she often served as a guardian ad litem. In 1949 Geraldine was one of three females among seven candidates who sought to be Milwaukee's first elected juvenile court judge. She also served as president of the Milwaukee Women Lawyer's Association and was active in the Marquette chapter of Kappa Beta Pi, a sorority for female law students and alumni.

Geraldine's decision to enter the field of law was influenced strongly by her father, John E. McMullen, an attorney who argued numerous cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and whose career also included stints as district attorney, mayor of Chilton, and state senator. Like her father, Geraldine McMullen was a staunch Democrat. She worked actively for the Democratic Party in Milwaukee, serving as a delegate to the National Convention in Chicago in the 1940s.

Geraldine McMullen continued to practice law in Milwaukee until her late 80s, when she moved to Menasha to be near her niece. She died in Menasha on Nov. 27, 1984.

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